Common Candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirsisena yesterday said Preident Mahinda Rajapaksa and his UPFA government still needed him – even after his departure.

He made these remarks on the government’s propaganda campaign using some old speeches of Maithripla Sirisena – which he made when he was a Minister of President Rajapaksa’s government. In their propaganda campaign, the government demonstrated the way Maithripala Sirisena spoke in praise of President Rajapaksa while serving as a Cabinet Minister of the same government.

“Over the past nine years, I was an integral part of various propaganda campaigns of the government. Maybe that’s why they want to repeat the speeches I made even after my defection,” the Common Candidate said.

He also added that the people of the country are aware of the speeches he made while he was a Minister of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government and the speeches he is making now as the Common Candidate of the Opposition.

“In a way I am happy that they still can’t let go of me,” Sirisena said.

However, the government’s propaganda campaign using old speeches of Maithripala Sirisena has come under severe opposition from some quarters of the opposition.